Firsts
by Bean12
Summary: A little less Disney and a little more high school, Troyella one shots.
1. Red

Disclaimer: No own, No sue, All good.

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Red.

It was the first time she had worn a dress like this.

Gabriella Montez wears pastels. Pastels compliment her dark hair and eyes. They blend into the background very nicely, thank – you – very - much.

She and Taylor had dashed through the white washed corridors, clutching her three inch heals in one hand while trying to keep her skirt down at a respectable level with the other. They arrived at the side door of the gym just in time for Troy's interception. Using Taylor's shoulder to balance, she had slipped on the shoes. The crowd exploded in celebration and a frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she tried to tug the dress closer to her knees.

"Are you sure I don't just look easy?" she had asked her friend for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"Gabriella, you look hot and you know it. So, go congratulate the champions already." Taylor had given her one last push in his direction.

Now, the chill running down her spine has nothing to do with the cool brick wall at her back and everything to with Troy's hands everywhere all at once. At her waist, pressing her closer to him with a gentle touch between her shoulder blades, wound through her hair as he kisses her again.

She lets out a small groan of disappointment as his lips leave hers, only to have a small moan of pleasure escape her as he kisses a warm trail from behind her ear, down her neck and across her collar bone. He slips his fingertips under one of the straps of her dress sending a new set of shivers down to her toes. Her head was suddenly too heavy for her neck to support; she allows it to fall gently against the wall behind her.

"Troy. . . ."

Devastatingly blue eyes look up at her mischievously.

"This is a great dress Gabi, have I told you that already?"

Giggling, she pulls his face to hers. With their foreheads resting together she could feel the rhythm of a heart beat; maybe it was hers, maybe it was his, not that it mattered, they were the same heart in this one perfect moment. Smiling, she runs her hands up his chest to settle them behind his head and tease the hair resting at his neck.

"Thank Taylor, she talked me into it."

He closes the small gap between them and claims her swollen lips again. She feels coveted and beautiful, full of a new confidence.

He kisses her ear and whispers laughingly, "Oh, most definitely."

* * *

fin. 


	2. Girl Talk

Disclaimer: If I owned them, we'd be moving over to HBO for some real fun.

A/N: This turned out completely different from was in my mind originally. More of a Gabi/Tay friendship drabble with Troyella fluff on the side, oh well. No one tells my muse what to do, not even me.

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Once the bell had rung excusing them to second period, Gabriella slid her arm through Taylor's to walk to chem together as the boys went in the opposite direction. 

"Okay, spill. Why is everyone staring at me again?"

The call backs had been two weeks ago, light years had past in the drama of East High. Being the center of attention was truly starting to get on Gabriella's nerves. It seemed no matter what she did, someone was always looking at her like she was the weird new girl.

Rolling her eyes, Taylor picked an invisible piece of lint off of Gabriella's coat and tugged at the sleeve, then answered, "It's an abomination".

"It so is not."

"It is an insult to women every where; like you're not you, but an accessory."

"An accessory?" Gabriella laughed lightly, "Don't you think you may be over reacting just a little?"

Frustration was seeping through Taylor's calm exterior; Gabriella was supposed to be an independent thinker, like her. "Girl, do you not understand the significance of being your own person? Standing on your own merit. . ."

"He asked me to be his _girlfriend_; I thought it was a cute gesture, chivalrous. You're acting like I had 'property of Troy Bolton' tattooed across my forehead." Gabriella beamed at her friend, fingers tapping her conspiratorially on the arm as they walked up the stairs together. "Is this about Chad? 'cause I bet he has one too, I could talk to him if you want. You know, with out being too obvious about it."

With wide eyes, Taylor pointed a warning finger, "don't you dare Montez, I know where you live. Besides, that's not what this is about. You're supposed to be like me, independent, self confident, and someone who doesn't need to establish her identity by being the captain of the basketball team's _girlfriend_."

"But that captain is really hot." Gabriella reasoned. "And you should have seen him, it was really sweet, with those big blue eyes, I just couldn't say no, even if I had wanted too. Besides, I like it, it's like he's got arms around me all the time, it even smells like him, here smell. . " she lifted a wrist toward Taylor's nose.

Taylor made a disgusted face, but laughed as she pushed Gabriella's arm out of her face. "See, now that is just sad. Here I am trying to commandeer your future role as my running mate for the 2032 presidential elections and you're walking around sniffing your clothes. What has that boy done to your brilliant mind?"

"Like I said, he's hot, my mind has very little to do with it actually. And further more, you're the one that talked me into that red dress in the first place, so you're at least partially to blame for the current situation."

"Oh no, you are not getting me mixed up in this. Look Gabi, I'm happy you and Troy are all in love or whatever. But when you show up with the boy's last name plastered across your back, I worry you're turning to the dark side. If you turn up at cheerleading tryouts or start spending your days trying to find rhymes for wildcats, I'm calling for an intervention is all I'm saying."

"Well, you don't have to worry; I'd still rather derive algebraic equations than words that rhyme with cat. And now, if I've alleviated your concerns for my academic well being, can you please tell me why everyone else keeps staring at me."

"They think you and Troy are sleeping together" She said it so nonchalantly, like she was saying 'your shoe's untied'.

Gabi stopped mid stride "Wh. . What . . Why would they think that? If Troy's dad hears that, I don't even want to know what'll happen."

Taylor pulled her along to class and shrugged casually, "When Troy made varsity last year, half the fresh-soph cheer squad clamored all over themselves to get in his pants. There were a lot of girls following him around for a very long time. But I'll tell you what Gabi, you're the first girl ever to wear Troy Bolton's Varsity Jacket."

They passed through the door and took their seats for class and Gabriella laughed, sure her friend was exaggerating. "You make it sound like some priceless piece of art."

"No, darlin' " Taylor said with a joking drawl, "that's what Troy's say'n 'bout you."

As Mrs. Santiago began taking attendance, Gabriella looked down at Troy's name embroidered across her heart and decided she didn't mind people staring, or what they were thinking.

She just remembered Troy slipping his jacket over her shoulders while they were walking across the parking lot after rehearsals yesterday. And how when she went to give it back, he told her to keep it, teasing that "It never hurts to put your name on your valuables, Montez."

* * *

Fin. 


	3. Road Trip

Disclaimer: Still don't own them. . . . Damn.

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06:52 am HWY 285

"You're seriously not telling me where we're going?" Troy was incredulous as Gabriella pulled onto the highway and headed east, toward the rising sun.

She gracefully snatched the sunglasses off his face and put them on hers. "It's a road trip, an adventure; it's about the journey, not the destination." With one hand on the wheel and both eyes on the road she grabbed the bag of snacks at his feet, digging through, "you didn't happen to buy any donuts did you?"

"Ten and two, Gabi! Ten and two! Did they not teach you how to drive in California?" Troy snatched the bag away from her to find a suitable breakfast item among the copious quantities junk food.

"We have salt, chocolate, caffeine, fruit flavored sugar and here they are; mini donuts!" Happy with his victorious discovery of breakfast, Troy blessed her with his signature grin, popped a chocolate covered donut in her mouth and stole his sunglasses back.

"This is how they drive in California" she said smugly through a mouth full of donut, while rummaging through her purse for her own sunglasses.

They drove with the windows down and the heat cranked all the way up. The January morning sent a cool breeze wildly through her hair that embodied the indescribable sense of freedom Gabriella felt, just her and Troy, speeding along the highway, together, with no obligations. It seemed like the first time since she had arrived in Albuquerque that she had nothing to do, except what she was doing right now. She didn't have to rush to check one more item off her massive List of Things To Do, she could just be.

And that was an awesome feeling.

He noticed her spacey smile and squeezed her knee. With his seat pushed all the way back and his feet resting out the window between the car and the rear view mirror, he pulled the sunglasses down his nose so that he could arch his eyebrows at her while he spoke.

"What 'cha thinking about? You're impossibly wonderful boyfriend and how you really have no clue where you're going; you just wanted to get him all alone in the desert?"

The look he gave her sent a wave of warmth into the pit of her stomach and she wanted nothing more than to pull over and climb into the passenger seat with him and let that heat consume them both. Instead, she lifted his hand to her mouth and placed a sweet kiss on his palm. His hands amazed her, the same hands that could so skillfully make the game-winning shot, could so easily send electric chills to her toes with a few fleeting touches in the hallway between classes.

"Don't you wish. I actually have a very specific destination in mind, but you, my impossibly wonderful boyfriend, will just have to wait and see."

She was teasing him and he knew it. But the bright sun was reflecting off her silver sunglasses, the cool wind was blowing her hair around her face and turning her cheeks a sexy, rosy pink, and they were together with nothing but open space around them, so Troy was okay to let her have her little secret for awhile longer.

* * *

Fin 


	4. Rest Stop

Disclaimer: I own the DVD, the soundtrack . . . . that's about it.

A/N: Inspired by the previous chapter, but it will still work as a stand alone. This one is my favorite so far, for whatever that's worth.

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9:17 am HWY 285 rest stop 

It takes Gabriella some time to get the tangles out and her hair put up into a sloppy bun. _At least it will keep the hair out of my face,_ she thinks as she exits the restroom and scans the area in search of Troy. She spots him not far off, studying the New Mexico road map displayed behind a heavy sheet of Plexiglas near the parking lot. She sneaks stealthily up behind him and splays her cold hands under his shirt across his warm, toned abs. He lets out a surprised yelp.

"Your hands are like ice, Gabi."

She nuzzles his arm and pokes her head around him to glance at the map. "That's why I keep you around; you're always nice and warm. Have you figured out where we're going yet?"

He spins around and her cold hands trail from his stomach to his back. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders he pulls her close kissing her slowly and completely. His hands are still in her hair as he looks at her, _really_ looks at her.

And all he can see is his future.

It's not a scary feeling, like he thought it would be. He doesn't feel oppressed or limited or anything like he always assumed he would, instead there is an unimaginable sense of lightness, of hope and of absolute certainty.

"Nope. But it's all about the journey, and so far so good. Ready to get back to it?"

His eyes have darkened a few shades; no longer cornflower now almost navy, but the laughter still sparkles behind them. Looking up at him, she instantly knows that he loves her. She just _knows_ it, without any doubt in her mind, Troy Bolton loves her. This is the moment she will always remember; always go back to when they argue or even worse, when they don't speak at all.

And it's nothing like she had planned. No soft music or elegant lighting, no flowery declarations of everlasting love under the stars in the perfect prom dress. She's wearing jeans and his oversized Wildcats Basketball sweatshirt and her windswept hair keeps falling out of the careless bun.

But this is better than any plan she may have had because it's _real_ and it's _hers_.

This mid morning revelation at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, brought on not by words but a kiss and something in his eyes that was never there before, but that she will never fail to identify from this day forward. She doesn't understand why she's been so blessed, but she's thankful none the less.

"Gabriella, you ready to hit the road, or is this our final destination?"

For a moment of irrational panic, she doesn't want to leave, doesn't want to move for fear of loosing this incredible feeling. She wants to set up a historical marker, a little bronze plaque on a pedestal that would mark this day and this spot for always.

Then the trance he has her under breaks, just a little, and while she's tempted to say, 'let's just stay here forever', she pulls away after one final hug and takes his hand.

"Yeah, let's get going."

* * *

Fin. 


	5. Out Loud

Disclaimer: I'd like to think that they belong more to Zac and Vanessa than Disney, but the lawyers probably have a different opinion.

A/N: It's fluffy.

* * *

"Pepperoni and pineapple? That's just wrong on so many levels." 

He is standing at the kitchen counter with the phone in one hand, laughing at her look of wide eyed shock at his disagreement.

"It's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, like the yin and yang of pizza. You just need to try it to fully appreciate it." She glances up at him through thick lashes with a challenging smile.

"You may have gotten me to sing in front of most of the school and you have obviously used your charm and beauty to talk me into practicing lines today instead of trying out Chad's new PS3, but a man's gotta draw the line somewhere, and I draw mine at fruit on my pizza, no way Gabi."

He hammers the phone on the granite like he's made some great judgment that will carry through his kingdom.

"Look Troy, Darbus wants us to have two complete read-throughs done by Monday. It's not my fault you procrastinated all day yesterday. So just order what ever the hell you want so we can get on with it."

Her eyes have turned cold and he can see the hard anger in them from across the kitchen. He's tempted to write it off as PMS and just order the fucking pizza the way she wants. But he's watched his parents enough to know that an unchecked snide comment from a grumpy woman will only lead to her silent sulking and ultimately expensive flowers and fumbled apologies for something was probably wasn't even his fault in the fist place.

So, he walks around the counter and sits beside her at the kitchen table, turning her chair to face him and takes her hands in his.

"Okay, this isn't about pizza. What's bugging you, really?"

She sighs and lets her head fall forward on his shoulder. When she looks up there are warm tears where the chill had been.

"I'm sorry Troy, it's not you."

She leafs through the impossibly thick binder with "Twinkle Towne" printed across the cover.

"It's this stupid play. There's lines and songs and those cheesy dance routines and I still have my English paper and History project, S.A.T.'s are like less than a month away and I just feel so . . . . and . . . . I don't know."

He's laughing lightly and she's not surprised to find herself giggling with him through her tears.

"What's so funny?"

He brushes the wet hair from her cheeks and smiles that smile, the one that reaches his eyes at the exact same moment it pulls at her heart.

"It's just nice to know you're not perfect. I had this same conversation with Zeke a few days ago."

"What'd he say?"

"Nothing, we just played one on one until I was too tired to worry about it anymore."

"Makes you wonder why we didn't just join choir, or start a band or anything besides this stupid _musicale_."

He's glad to see the laughter in her eyes and although she's still stressed, he risks teasing her again.

"Act 2 Scene 4." He says with arched eyebrows and a small kiss on her lips. She tastes like cream soda lip gloss and saltwater tears.

"The kiss" she answers knowingly.

"Who else gets to make out and call it homework?" He's trying to pull her into a good mood, but she's not going willingly.

"See that's just it. I'm so afraid everyone is going to see, everyone is just going to know and I'm not sure I'm ready to let everyone else in on it."

She's looking at him, pleading with her eyes for him to understand. And he's clueless, with no idea what she's scared of. But he wants nothing more than to take that fear away, to let her know that everything will be okay, that she's got nothing to worry about, because he won't let anything bad happen to her, ever. He can't find the words to convey what he wants her to know with out making promises that sound empty and impossible so he just looks at her and hopes she sees the faith he has in her, in them.

"I'm going to have to kiss you on that stage, in front of all those people and everyone is going to know, everyone is going to see. Not Minnie and Arnold, but me, and how much I need you, how Gabriella Montez loves Troy Bolton. And I don't know if I'm ready for that."

He's stunned and she's shocked that she's finally said it out loud. She braves a look at him and his smile is over the top. She can practically see the buzz floating around him. He squeezes her hands and leans into her. She can feel the air thicken around her, making it hard to catch her breath.

"I love you too, Gabriella."

She blushes and blinks in slow motion then looks back up at him. And he's the one who's surprised when their eyes lock.

"But . . . you already knew that."

She's smiling and laughs at his revelation because he thought he could keep something so big from her when she can read him like her favorite book.

"I've had an idea you may have felt that way for a little while now."

The sheen has returned to her eyes, only this time the tears are from an overwhelming sense of relief and love and knowing that everything will workout in time for opening night because there is really no other alternative.

It's inevitable, like so many things lately.

Their legs have tangled together, and she seems to be more on his lap than her own chair. The afternoon sun is beating through the kitchen windows, creating a cocoon of light and warmth.

Wiping the tears away, he kisses her again and this time there is no salt, only sweet.

As he pulls away, his thumbs stroke her cheeks and he's memorizing the plains of her face with the very tips of his fingers.

"Say it again, please."

Her bright eyes sparkle warmly as she leans closer. Her words whisper across his lips in warm puffs.

"I love you Troy."

* * *

Fin. 


	6. Crescendo

Disclaimer: They're mine, all mine! Only . . . not.

A/N: My Valentine gift to you- Smut! Yay! It's not overly descriptive, but it's still sex, so please read at your own discretion.

**Crescendo:** **1. **A passage played with a gradual increase in volume or intensity. **2. **A steady increase in intensity or force

* * *

There is a crescendo building in her mind, not with music, because she wants to hear their sound, his ragged breath across her neck, the pounding of her heart pulsing in her ears. Troy, trying so desperately to whisper her name but it keeps cutting short so it comes out 

"God, Gab…"

Her crescendo is colorful.

A deep, dark burgundy of the unfilled passion as she is naked underneath him. Every cell in her body is humming, alive with anticipation. Their bodies touching from forehead to knee, everywhere but that most critical point. She's arching her pelvis up toward his, silent granting him permission; grasping at the last remnants of her sanity, clutching at it like a mountain climber holding onto a ledge in a snow storm. Finally he enters her, slowly but forcefully and that burning burgundy blazes.

Into a blinding red. His hands are in her hair, supporting her head like she's too weak to hold her own head straight, and maybe he's right. His thumbs trace circles on the sensitive patches of skin between her eyes and her hairline, urging her to look at him. His eyes are dancing and his heart is pounding counterpoint to hers.

"Hi" he says.

And it is all he needs to say to chase the residual fear and doubt out of her mind. She brings her thighs up to rest across his hips and locks her ankles low on his back, squeezing him closer, deeper inside her and he lets out a surprised laugh. The bright red in her mind has begun to fade back to the burgundy of want and she says

"I love you".

It's the only thing he needs to hear and he begins to move inside her. Slowly at first while her nails leave lazy trails on the sweat soaked skin of his back. He kisses her neck and tries again to say her name and still doesn't get it all the way out.

"God, Gabr. . ."

Their pace is getting faster, more intense, and the crescendo in her mind has moved from red, right past orange.

To the blinding yellow of sun rise. His hands have moved from her hair to her hips and he's gripping her so tight, his nails are going to leave little crescent marks that stay for almost two days. When they finally do fade, Gabriella is so deeply disappointed; embarrassed with herself for suddenly wanting his mark on her, his claim visible, but missing those half circles none the less.

She starts a wet path of open mouth kisses at the base of his throat that curves up his jaw line to his temple. While he sets a fast passed rhythm the yellow of her mind darkens.

To a deep forest green. With their eyes locked together, on every thrust he utters a single word.

"I"

Her pelvis arches on its on accord to meet him.

"Love"

Her hands tighten across his back.

"You"

Sweat rolls down his cheeks, falling on her cheeks like tears.

The green she realizes is an evergreen, of life forever, because she will take this with her everywhere, all the time. The rhythm changes, speeding up with inevitable need taking over.

"Love"

"You"

"You"

"You"

Until finally he is reduced to desperate thrusts and the sensation of sweat slick skin is all she can register. The green suddenly flashes.

To a blinding white. Muscles in her body she never knew existed tense and quiver as he thrusts into her one final time, growling in her ear as he explodes inside her. She locks her legs down around him so he can not leave her. Not yet, she does not want to lose the connection yet. He smiles into the crook of her neck and the blinding white ebbs.

To a bright blue, like a robin's egg or new spring flowers. She is smiling when he looks at her. The passion and lust in his eyes replaced by contentment and love.

"I love you Troy" tumbles out of her mouth without any thought.

He grins that smile that has made her knees weak since the first time she saw it and kisses her soundly while pulling out of her. She instantly feels as if part of her is missing, like those people she's heard about who have lost limbs but wake up in the middle of the night with pain in a leg that is no longer there. She makes a pouty face but allows him to realign them so that he is spooning behind her. Bringing the covers of her bed around their shoulders to ward off the chill of sweat drying on skin, he whispers in her ear.

"Alpha and Omega, Gabriella. You are my beginning and my end."

As she starts to drift off to sleep with his breath on her neck, the baby blue deepens. To the color of the ocean she left not five months ago and misses the most from her semester spent in California.

The blue of calm and storm.

The color of his eyes.

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Fin 

A/N 2: Okay, this is the last one of these for a while. Thank you for coming along on this little jaunt. My muse is pestering me about a future fic that's been stirring for some time. I may revisit this, but for now they're happy.


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